Art, Music, Makeup and Madness

Review: e.l.f Lip Stains

Disclaimer: Items provided for review

You all know how much I love my Body Shop Lip stain, so I was quite interested to see how these would compare, e.l.f actually sell four of these, Cheery Blush a dark burgandy red is the shade I don’t have.

Well I had it, but it arrived pretty much dry (when I shook it you could hear the inside was loose and rattling around) and I was trying to figure out a way to make them moist again. It didn’t work sadly so I can’t review it with the rest of the lips stains.

On the e.l.f uk website they say these lip stains are “infused with nourishing Vitamin E to hydrate and moisturise lips”, it’s not really that effective. With most lip stains they tend to be drying but these are really, really drying. To be fair I’ve always had really dry lips so for someone how had naturally moist lips this might not be an issue.

Basics:

4 shades

£2.50

Cruelty-Free

I won’t be swatching these on my lips today, I’ve been ill for the last week and my lips are not in a state to show on camera so I’ve swatched them on my arm instead. Nude Nectar (top shade) and Pixi Pink (Middle shades) won’t show up too well on anyone who already has quite red lips, you get a subtle tint but you wont get to the exact shade of the lip stain.

Crimson crush is probably my favorite of the lot. On my lips it turns out a lot darker than the swatch above, a lovely retro red colour. One drawback to these (other than they’re crazy drying) is that when you actually want to take it of it is not easy. I’ve tried to use makeup remover to get these off (Bioderma) and nothing, removed a little of it but not all of it. The only thing I’ve found that get’s these off is a little bit of vodka applied to a cotton ball and then wipe it off. So they’re pretty “smudge proof!”

Overall:

Streaky application

Drying

Dry (as in not enough moisture in the actual product)

Best ones are the two darker shades

Overall I don’t think these will replace my Body Shop lip stains. While the stain does last for an age and a half they wear away slowly after about 2-3 hours in the middle of your lips and you’re left with a red outline . Also they’re just too dry, that goes for my lips and the actual nib. Sorry e.l.f.